Iowa Radio News

NEWTON, IA (IRN) – Jasper County’s largest employer will soon be down to about 50 employees. TPI Composites in Newton is ending wind turbine manufacturing Friday. About 700 people are losing their jobs. CHARLES CITY, IA (IRN) – A Charles City woman has been charged with homicide for a Labor Day crash that killed two people and injured her young child. Casey Lindhal was allegedly drunk when her car crossed the centerline of a road north of Charles City and crashed head-on into another car. The crash killed 76-year-old Anita Anderson and 77-year-old Chris Anderson and injured Lindhal and her child. BUCHANAN COUNTY, IA (IRN) – The driver of a semi semi-tractor trailer was able to escape injury in a flaming crash Tuesday in Buchanan County. 49-year-old Ryan Thieman fell asleep and lost control of the semi. The semi struck a guardrail of a bridge causing leaking fuel which ignited a fire. The semi was fully engulfed as well as the median between the northbound and southbound lanes. No one was injured. WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Hy-Vee is introducing a new retail security team to its stores as part of its effort to ensure the health and safety of its customers and employees. Hy-Vee says that the retail security officers will be present during store hours and will be trained to defuse situations and protect the safety of Hy-Vee employees and customers. ORLANDO, FL (IRN) – Iowa State rallied in the fourth quarter, but #19 Clemson was able to hold on and beat the Cyclones 20-13 Wednesday night at the Cheez-It Bowl. The Hawkeyes play Kentucky on Saturday at the Citrus Bowl.

ANKENY, IA (IRN) – A Polk City man is charged with sexually exploiting children. Ankeny police say they found child pornography in Daniel Little’s home. Police said a cyber tip through Iowa Crimes Against Children led to his arrest. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The number of people shot in Des Moines jumped significantly in 2021, but fewer people were killed by gunfire. The number of people shot in the city, as of Dec. 28, sits at 86, compared to the 49 people shot in 2020. However, those dying in shootings have declined. In 2020, 17 people were shot and killed; that number is 11 in 2021. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A Dubuque man has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for conspiring with his daughter in a conspiracy that involved around 1,000 drug-related transactions over an eight-month period. 47-year-old Kendell Lamont Thomas of Dubuque pleaded guilty in June to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – A convicted felon who possessed a gun and drugs he intended to distribute inside a Cedar Rapids Wal-Mart was sentenced to seven years in federal prison on Tuesday. 41-year-old Sylvester Cunningham received the prison term after a guilty verdict at a two-day trial in July. Cunningham, who was in a wheelchair, was selling powder and crack cocaine. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Iowa City Catholic Worker has opened up a second location to serve immigrants and refugees. The group closed on the 6 bedroom, 7 bathroom house known as the Burford House Inn on Monday. The downtown home is larger than their first and is already welcoming refugees who are seeking asylum.

ANKENY, IA (IRN) – An arrest has been made in connection to a car crash that burned down an Ankeny home on Dec. 20. Police say that 18-year-old Miguel Delos Reyes was driving a car that crashed into the side of the home. Reyes allegedly left the scene of the crash but was identified by other occupants from the vehicle. The crash sparked a house fire that burned down a home. The crash also caused injuries to a minor, sending her to the hospital. SIOUX CITY, IA (IRN) – An Iowa woman has been charged with helping a teenager attack a man with a hatchet in a Sioux City apartment. Sioux City police said the attack was carried out on Dec. 18 to retaliate against the apartment’s occupant because the man had previously kicked the 52-year-old woman out. Police say Blair let the 16-year-old into the locked apartment building and then knocked on the door of the victim’s apartment before stepping aside to let the teen enter. The victim suffered a broken shoulder when he was struck several times with a hatchet. IOWA (IRN) – A grim milestone looms as the year comes to a close. The Iowa DOT reports that 341 fatalities have been reported on Iowa roads. It’s on track to surpass last year’s total of 343. AMES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa State men’s basketball team moved up one spot higher in the top ten of the new AP rankings released Monday. The Cyclones (12-0) are ranked No. 8 in this week’s AP Top 25 Poll. Iowa State was picked to finish last in the Big 12 Conference this season, but after an undefeated start to the season the Cyclones broke into the AP top ten for the first time since the 2015-16 season. IOWA (IRN) – The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for much of central and eastern Iowa today. Light snow will begin early this morning, then change to light freezing rain or a wintry mix by the morning commute. Slick roads and travel impacts will be possible at times.

CEDAR FALLS, IA (IRN) – The University of Northern Iowa Men’s Basketball game against Wartburg on Wednesday has been canceled due to multiple Wartburg players being unable to play. The University of Iowa has announced the game at Penn State scheduled for Thursday, December 30 has been canceled following positive COVID-19 test results within the Penn State Women’s Basketball program. LINN COUNTY, IA (IRN) – A bicycle ride in rural Linn County ended in tragedy on Christmas Day. Police say the cyclist was hit by a Ford Escape, and the rider was pronounced dead at the scene. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – UnityPoint workers in Cedar Rapids have bared their hearts in an emotional plea for people to get vaccinated. The video shows workers begging for people to get vaccinated and to spread the importance of it to friends and family members. COVID has stretched workers thin, and they say they can’t go on like this. USA (IRN) – Airlines canceled hundreds more flights Sunday, citing staffing problems tied to COVID-19, as the nation’s travel woes extended beyond Christmas, with no clear indication when normal schedules would resume. More than 700 flights were canceled. MARION, IA (IRN) – A Marion man’s photo is now on boxes of the breakfast cereal Wheaties. Clarence Frett has been eating a bowl of Wheaties every morning for breakfast since he was in the Coast Guard in World War II. Wheaties is 100 years old. Clarence will turn 100 next month. Clarence’s daughter Renee sent an email to General Mills to see if she could get her dad’s face on a Wheaties box, and they came through.

DECORAH, IA (IRN) – Winneshiek Medical Center in Decorah is warning the communities they serve that there may not be enough beds for everyone who needs care because of the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in the region. The hospitals says 40% of their filled inpatient beds are occupied by COVID-positive patients, and they require more staff time than most other patients. Winneshiek Medical Center says 90% of its COVID patients are unvaccinated. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A man is facing federal drug charges after an incident in Des Moines last month where a 15-year-old boy was shot and killed. Police say 21-year-old Brent Dobberke is charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Authorities believe two 15-year-olds attempted to rob Dobberke. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – The Men’s and Women’s U.S. National Curling Championship has been canceled due to COVID-19. The event was going to be held in Cedar Rapids in the first week of the new year. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Afghan refugees are coming to Iowa, and more than 500 could be calling Polk County home. The county has spent $44,000 to purchase 300 beds, and delivery of those beds has already begun.